Does the pressure relief setting affect event levels?

My CPAP has the pressure relief setting turned on. I'm guessing that this won't increase events, but just want to make sure that I'm not paying a price for increased comfort. Googled how EPR works, but wasn't clear about this.

Thanks!

The EPR can cause CO2 washout. No biggie normally, but it can increase CA's. The EPR is the reduction of the inhale pressure, in centimeters, by a value equal to the number selected. An example would be having a pressure setting of 10cm and an EPR of 3 would result in the pressure dropping to 7cm when you exhaled. The only limiting factor is that the pressure can't go below 4cm. So if you have a pressure setting of 6cm and an EPR of 3, the exhale pressure would only drop by 2cm's to 4cm.

Now that I've made this as clear as a bucket of grits. . .

Some of us have found that once we get accustomed to cpap, we no longer need exhale pressure relief.
It can also be an issue with keeping a seal, especially with the cloth masks.
Do whatever lets you sleep comfortably.
Don't worry about other things unless there are problems.

track your therapy with Sleepyhead and see for yourself.

joem18b wrote:Does the pressure relief setting affect event levels?

The answer is yes it certainly can and will if not adjusted properly it can allow for events to go by unabated. You always want the lowest pressure to treat your events. So either decrease the EPR or raise the pressure to compensate.

joem18b wrote:My CPAP has the pressure relief setting turned on. I'm guessing that this won't increase events, but just want to make sure that I'm not paying a price for increased comfort.

It all depends on how far down it drops and if that drop during exhale takes you below the threshold needed to hold the airway open.
So it can affect events and maybe allow the airway to collapse but it also might not.
It all depends on what pressure you are using and what relief you are using and where the threshold is to hold the airway open in the first place.

Should you think that maybe you are dropping below that threshold...and you like exhale relief...just adjust the pressure upwards a little to compensate for it.
If using exhale relief let's you be more comfortable and fall asleep easier and stay asleep...by all means use it. It's easy enough to compensate for that drop in pressure IF there is a need. Evaluate your reports...it will be real obvious if there is a need.

You gotta get the sleep first and anything that helps us get to sleep and stay asleep...worth doing in my book.

grayghost4 wrote:track your therapy with Sleepyhead and see for yourself.

+1

Everything else is guessing.